So you can technically get pregnant at any time of the month, so why throw in a couple placebo pills? What do they do exactly, and can you get pregnant during that week of taking them?
In: Biology
The human reproduction cycle needs a period where the female body can get rid of excess uterine lining and wasted eggs. Naturally, this is what we call a period.
If women took full-hormone birth control non-stop, they wouldn’t have a period as often, which can lead to problems, like a much heavier flow than normal when it happens.
So, standard birth control is ~3 weeks of hormone pills and ~1 week of placebo pills to allow the hormone levels to drop and the period to occur. Doing this, the women remember to take their pills every day (not saying there is any stupidity involved, but habits work for a reason), and the body is able to function as normal.
some women take birth control just to ensure their periods are regulated.
Because that week of placebo is when the uterus sheds its lining, it’s less likely for a woman to get pregnant, compared to other days of the month, but a lot of guys will wait to have sex during that time anyway, because of the blood.
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